Child&#39;s hand-propelled velocipede



United States Patent 2 19 CHILDS HAND-PROPELLED varoc ruuu Application July 21, 1953, Serial No. 369,410

6 claims (c 2s== s This invention relates -to' yelocipedes primarily (though not exclusively) for" ildrerisuse, of the type whi is efi rt 't P r ae l d.oihe wi t a by rect pressure of the ridersfeet the ground and inwl'iich one (or each) ent l of the main structure is sup; r ed new tw meant-s Wheel ha n thei r s e t a e fly'ehefisq with 9 2. 9 1

"I-lithe r to such velocipedes have usually been propelled through the medium of cranks associated with the front or rear axles thereof, the r rotating the (or each) crank i rb di e awa e f h a 't et e r by actuation of a tread le 'or handlever suitablylinked tosuchcra nk. f'

The chief object of the present invention is to provide in pr a a rsl irs e 9 rait as efsresei new or improved formbfpropulsiQn mehh in ism which is simple and relatively inexpensive 'toproduce, but capableof being readily .operatedby wery young children.

A further object of theinyen tipn is a simplified construction of velocipede'embodyingf the pew or improved propulsion means aforesaid. 5

According to this invention, in a velocipede of the type referred to, the (or one) pair of laterally-spaced running wheels are mounted for bodily oscillation in a horizontal plane under the control of a hand-wheel or its equivalent which is adapted, on angular movement in either direction, first to apply a brake to one of the said running wheels and thereafter to swivel the running wheel assembly so that the other of such wheels (and hence the adjacent part of the main structure) travels forward in an arcuate path having its center at the point of contact of said braked wheel with the ground or floor.

Preferably, the braking means associated with the swivellable running wheels takes the form of a two-armed lever which is rigidly united with the hand-wheel or its equivalent and whose opposite ends are normally clear of the adjacent running wheels, the swivellable wheel 0 assembly having a lost-motion connection to the said lever so that, by operation of the hand-wheel or its equivalent, such lever can be swung into engagement with either wheel of the said assembly and the latter thereafter swivelled in the same direction.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a part-sectional side elevation of a velocipede embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a part-sectional plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the propulsion mechanism.

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan views showing successive positions of the propulsion mechanism during forward motion of the velocipede.

1n the example illustrated, the invention is applied to a childs hand-car, whose main structure comprises a horizontal seat or platform 10, which measures (for example) 28 inches long by about 12 inches wide and is preferably rounded at both ends.

intersecting the longitudinal center line of this plat- 2,745,679 Patented May 15, 1956 2 form at a suitable distance (for example, 9 /2 inches) from one end thereof 'is a tubular bearing 11 for a metal stem 12 provided at the top with a horizontal handwheel 13 and having its lower end connected (as hereinafter more fully described) to the center of a front axle 14 fitted with two running wheels 15 at (for example) 9 Ai inches apart.

The rear end of the platform 10 is supported upon a similar pair of wheels 16, the ends of whose common axle 17 are cleated at 18 to wooden blocks 19 secured either directly to the underside of the platform 10 or to battens 20 reinforcing the longitudinal edges of the latter.

In a convenient arrangement, each of the wheels 15 (or 16) comprises a solid wooden disc about 4 inches in diameter, grooved at its periphery to take a rubber tire 21 and running between metal washers 2 2 threaded upon the axle 14 (or 17). Inward movement of such wheel may be prevented by suitable deformation of the axle as at 23, whilst outward movement, in the case of the front wheels 15, may be restrained by, a split-pin 24 or other cotter.

The rear wheels 16 may be located against outward movement by the wooden blocks 19, the axle 17 itself being located endwise by a continuous skirt or valance 25 which depends from the edges of the platform 11) so as partially to conceal the wheels.

It is preferred toconstruct the platform 16 of fibreboard (for example) inch thick, and to form the valance 25 from a 3-inch wide strip or strips of the same material (for example-) Az inch thick. 7

"The hand-wheel 13, which may be 9% inches in diameter and 5 /2; inches above the platform 11' conveniently comprises a tubular or sheet-metal rim 26 at- 'tach ed by a twin diametral spoke 27 to :1 central metal disc 23 which is suitably secured to the vertical stem 12, the upstanding bearing 11 for the latter being enclosed within a wooden shell or fairing 29.

Where this hearing 11 passes through the platform 10 the latter is reinforced at its underside by a wooden block 39 to which is bolted an attachment lug or flange 31 on the bearing tube.

The lower end of the hand-wheel stem 12 is made in the shape of a hook 32 which is closed around the central part of the front axle 14 between locating lugs 33 on the latter, and a washer 34 is interposed between this hook 32 and the end of the bearing tube 11.

Welded to the front part of the hook 32 is a horizontal V-shaped lever 35 whose extremities are bent into mutual alignment at 36 and normally disposed about 1 inch from the tires of the adjacent running wheels 15.

It will be seen from Fig. 4 that substantial clearance is provided for the axle 14 within the hook 32, and for the latter between the locating lugs 33 on the axle, so that, when the hand-wheel 13 is turned in either direction, the front wheel assembly is not immediately swivelled.

In practice, the child user of the velocipede sits upon the rear part of the platform 1:; with its legs extended forwardly at opposite sides of the hand-wheel stem 12.

For propulsion purposes the hand-wheel 13 is grasped by the child and partially turned, first in one direction and then in the other.

Assuming that the initial movement is anticlockwise, the left-hand end of the V-shaped lever 35 will be brought into contact with the tire 21 of the adjacent front wheel 15 so as to prevent rotation of the latter relatively to the ground or floor (see Fig. 5), and continued anticlockwise movement of the hand-wheel 13 will swivel the front axle assembly about a vertical axis.

Since the left-hand front wheel 15 is braked by the V-shaped lever 35, however, the front axle assembly will swing bodily about the point of contact of that wheel with the ground or floor. In consequence the righthand front wheel, and thus, the front part of the body, will travel forward in an arcuate path with the abovementioned contact point as center (see Fig. 6).

A subsequent clockwise movement of the hand-wheel 13 will, of course, produce a further advancement of the vehicle body combined with a swing to the right, and thus by a continuous oscillation of the hand-Wheel the vehicle can be propelled forward by the rider in a sinuous path, its rear part naturally deviating less than its front part from the general direction of travel.

Obviously the construction above described may be modified in various respects within the scope of the invention.

For example, a suitable handle-bar may be substituted for. the hand-wheel 13 and may be disposed behind the normal position of the rider to oscillate the rear axle assembly, in which case the individual front wheels may be caster-mounted.

Furthermore, the vehicle may have only three running wheels, provided that two of the latter are laterally spaced and mounted coaxially for oscillation by the hand-wheel 13 or'its equivalent.

What I claim is:

1. A hand-car comprising a frame, a pair of wheels on a transverse axle mounted on the front of said frame, said wheels being adjacent the edges of said frame, ground engaging means at the rear of said frame, a vertical stem mounted for oscillation centrally of and above said axle, a steering element on the upper end of said stem, a hook depending from the lower end of said stem and surrounding said axle while permitting limited relative movement thereof, a horizontal lever fixed to said hook and extending adjacent to and in front of said pair of wheels, whereby the angular movement of said element in one direction toward a side of the car locks the wheel on the same side against rotation causing the opposite wheel to pivot about said locked wheel and vice versa, whereby sinuous propulsion of said car results.

2. A hand-car according to claim 1 in which the lever is V-shaped being attached at its apex.

3. A hand-car according to claim 1 in which the lever is V-shaped being attached at its apex and the ends of said lever are substantially in alinement.

4. A hand-car according to claim 1 in which the stem is held in a tubular hearing which is mounted on said frame.

5. A hand-car according to claim 1 in which the axle has locating lugs adjacent to and on opposite side of said hook.

6. A hand-car'comprising a'frame, a pair of wheels on a transverse axle mounted on the front of said frame, said wheels being adjacent the edges of said frame, ground engaging means at the rear of said frame, a vertical stem mounted for. oscillation centrally of and above said axle, a steering element on the upper end of said stem, a hook depending from the lower end of said stem and surrounding said axle while permitting limited relative movement thereof, a horizontal lever fixed to said hook and extending adjacent to and in front of said pair of wheels, the ends of said lever adapted to contact their respective wheels to act as brakes, whereby the angular movement of said element in one direction toward a sideof the car locks the wheel on the same side against rotation causing the opposite wheel to pivot about said locked wheel and vice versa, whereby sinuous propulsion of said car results. 7 x

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,539,640 Sebel June 14, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 701,216 France Mar. 13, 1931 

